# Integrative Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis Reveals CaMK4-Mediated Regulation of Proliferation in Goat Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells

## TL;DR

This study shows that CaMK4 regulates muscle cell proliferation in goats, offering new insights into muscle development and potential improvements in meat production.

## Contribution

The study identifies CaMK4's inhibitory role in goat muscle satellite cell proliferation and reveals associated regulatory pathways and candidate genes.

## Key findings

- CaMK4 overexpression inhibits goat muscle satellite cell proliferation by regulating pathways like cAMP and PI3K-Akt.
- CaMK4 knockdown enhances proliferation by upregulating cell cycle-related genes and proteins.
- Genes like LGALS9, CTHRC1, HAS1, and TDH are identified as potential regulators of cell cycle and metabolism.

## Abstract

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMK4) is involved in a variety of biological processes in skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs). In this study, we found that CaMK4 has a inhibitory effect on the proliferation of MuSCs in goats, and clarified that CaMK4 overexpression or knockdown significantly regulates a series of candidate genes related to muscle development and cell proliferation in goats at both the transcriptional and protein levels, which provides new mechanistic insights into genetic regulation of muscle development in goats.

CaMK4, a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, is an important mediator of cellular signal transduction, yet its role in the regulation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) in goats has remained unclear. In this study, CaMK4 overexpression and knockdown models were established, and integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed to systematically elucidate its regulatory network. CaMK4 overexpression altered key pathways associated with cell proliferation and muscle development, including cAMP, PI3K-Akt, and actin cytoskeleton regulation, while proteomic data highlighted calcium signaling and JAK-STAT pathways. Conversely, CaMK4 knockdown enhanced MuSC proliferation by upregulating cell cycle-related genes and proteins. Integrated analyses further identified that Galectin-9 (LGALS9), Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1), Hyaluronan Synthase 1 (HAS1), and L-Threonine Dehydrogenase (TDH) may serve as potential key nodes regulating cell cycle, apoptosis, and metabolic control. This suggests a regulatory role for CaMK4. Collectively, these findings provide a mechanistic framework for understanding CaMK4 function in ruminant muscle development and may offer insights for improving goat muscle growth, meat quality traits, and production efficiency.